Gradual desaturation mechanism for conveying information

Abstract

A gradual desaturation mechanism enables particular types of information to be conveyed on a user interface. According to one method for execution in a color graphical user interface environment, a user interface representation is captured, with the exception of the first defined space. Then, in order to convey attention to the first defined space, a first amount of color is removed from the captured user interface representation. According to another method for execution in a color graphical user interface environment, a blanket window is created to cover the user interface, as well as a first window as a parent to the blanket window. This enables color to be incrementally removed from the blanket window, such that attention is drawn to the first window remaining in color.

1 . A computer-implemented method for execution in a color graphical user interface environment to convey attention to a first defined space on the user interface, comprising: 
 capturing the user interface representation with the exception of the first defined space; and    removing a first amount of color from the captured user interface representation.    
   
   
       2 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 creating on the graphical user interface, prior to the capturing, a blanket window covering the user interface; and    creating the first defined space over the blanket window,    wherein the capturing step comprises capturing the blanket window.    
   
   
       3 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 2 , wherein the first defined space is a system modal dialog window.  
   
   
       4 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 3 , further comprising successively and iteratively removing additional amounts of color from the captured user interface representation until a predetermined amount of color is removed from the user interface representation.  
   
   
       5 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 4 , wherein the system modal dialog window includes one or more controls, the method further comprising, after each color removal iteration, monitoring the status of the controls for instructions, and executing any received instruction.  
   
   
       6 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 5 , wherein capturing the blanket window comprises copying the video buffer to the system buffer in increments, and, after each increment, monitoring the status of the system modal dialog window control for instructions, and executing any received instruction.  
   
   
       7 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 4 , wherein the color is removed using a desaturation algorithm.  
   
   
       8 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 7 , wherein the amount of color removed in each iteration is adjustable.  
   
   
       9 . A computer-implemented method for execution is a color graphical user interface environment to convey attention to a first window on the user interface, comprising: 
 creating a blanket window that covers the user interface;    creating the first window as a parent to the blanket window; and    incrementally removing color from the blanket window,    whereby attention is drawn to the first window remaining in color.    
   
   
       10 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 9 , wherein the color is removed using a desaturation algorithm.  
   
   
       11 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 10 , further comprising, during the color removal step, monitoring the first window for any received instruction and executing any received instruction.  
   
   
       12 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 11 , wherein the color removal step comprises capturing the blanket window and incrementally removing color from the captured blanket window.  
   
   
       13 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 12 , wherein the capturing of the blanket window comprises copying the blanket window from a video memory buffer to a system buffer.  
   
   
       14 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 13 , wherein the video memory is copied in increments, and after each increment is copied, the monitoring of the first window is performed and any received instruction is executed.  
   
   
       15 . A computer-readable medium having computer executable instructions for conveying attention to a first window on a graphical user interface, the instructions for performing steps, comprising: 
 rendering on the user interface a blanket window that transparently covers the user interface;    creating on the user interface the first window as a parent to the blanket window;    capturing the blanket window; and    incrementally removing color from the captured blanket window.    
   
   
       16 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , having further executable instructions for monitoring the first window for any executed controls and if a control is executed, allowing the instruction to execute.  
   
   
       17 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 16 , wherein the instructions for capturing the blanket window comprise instructions for capturing the blanket window in increments.  
   
   
       18 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the instructions for removing color from the blanket window include a predetermined number of color removal increments.  
   
   
       19 . A user interface for use in conveying attention to a first window of the user interface and embodied on a computer readable medium and executable on a computer, comprising: 
 a transparent blanket window; and    a first window that is a parent to the blanket window,    wherein the blanket window is configurable to change color characteristics to convey attention to the parent first window.    
   
   
       20 . The user interface of  claim 19 , wherein the blanket window is configurable to incrementally remove color upon creation of the first window.